Apparatus for decomposing steam



J. A. BASSETT.

Gas Retort.

No. 26,963.. Patented Jan. 31, 1860.

Witnesses= lnventon MWKM.

AM. PNDTO-LITHO.CO. N.Y. (OSBDRNE'S PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. BASSETT, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR DECOMPOSING STEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BASSETT, of Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Retort for Generating Gas; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereon-reference being made to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in a special form of apparatus, for decomposing steam, so as to obtain hydrogen abundantly from it. The steam is made to enter .a retort through a perforated metallic pipe. Which traverses the long axis of the cylinder. The perforations in the pipe may be placed along its whole length, they may be placed a half an inch apart, having pin hole apertures. But the size or number is not essential, provided a fine stream of steam is attained. The relative size of the steam pipe to the interior of the retort may be as one eighth or one tenth more or less.

The many applications in the arts to which hydrogen may be rendered available, provided it could be obtained with economy and speed, by the decomposition of water, render it desirable, that an improved form of apparatus, should be used for the rapid obtaining that gas from steam superheated and under high pressure.

In my patent for improvement in hydrocarbon gas, dated January 3d, 1860, I have indicated a mode of obtaining hydrogen by a special apparatus, and my object in this application is to describe the apparatus. But there are many other uses of hydrogen where it can be obtained abundantly. And this form of apparatus herein described is found to accomplish this result.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe the same reference being bad to the accompanying drawing which represents in section a retort by which my invention can be carried out.

A, is a retort made in any of the usual forms in which gas retorts are usually made. But I prefer to use for this purpose a cylinder, as being the best form to heat all parts of it in a thorough manner, and by expert ence I find that this form will wear the long- 26,963, dated January 31, 1860.

est, and is less liable to injury from expansion and contraction. Traversing the axis of this cylinder or retort is a perforated tube B. This tube has its orifices very fine indeed as is shown in the nature of the invention. The steam is generated under pressure in any suitable manner and enters the tube B, through the opening D, the tube B, projecting through this side of the retort for that purpose. The tube B terminates at the interior of the other end of the retort, as is shown at C, and is tightly closed at that point. This tube also serves a two fold purpose, to give the steam another heating and further drying it before it enters directly the body of the retort, and, causing it to pass through the length of the retort and enter it in minutely divided jets, converts more of it into hydrogen than by any other process.

I prefer to fill the space between the pipe and retort, with any form of carbon best adapted to promote the decomposition of the steam, but, I do not claim the use of carbon as an auxiliary part of my apparatus, as such is not new.

It is not necessary that the pipe shall be of metal, since any perforated material capable of resisting the pressure, would an swer the purpose. Pipes of porous clay may be used for the purpose, and in this latter case, the porosity of the material answers the purpose of artificial perforations, and in such case the pressure of steam will require to be varied to obtain a jet through the wall of the pipe.

The rate of decomposition of steam in a retort two feet long and one foot in diameter, I find by my experience to be, one thousand feet per hour, when the temperature of the retort is (according to Poullets table) 1400, or a strong white heat.

Experience has taught me that the greater the pressure of the steam combined with an intense heat, the more rapid will be the formation of hydrogen. And in my apparatus I average a pressure of 150 pounds to the square inch but the requirements for hydrogen in special cases, may render it desirable to increase or lessen the temperature and pressure, which may be done without varying my improvement.

I do not claim broadly the mode of decomposing steam by passing it along heated suroperating in the way and for the purpose faces of iron, but described.

What I claim as new, and my inven- JOHN A BASSETT tion is 5 The employment of a retort, furnished Witnesses:

with a hollow pipe, in the axis of the retort S. M. JONES, perforated in the manner set forth, the Whole B. D. 'FABYAN. 

